Scots are more likely to have given to charity in the last year than people in the rest of the United Kingdom, a study suggests.

According to research by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), a total of 76% of people in Scotland took part in a charitable or social activity in 2018 – above the 64% recorded for the UK as a whole.

Findings published in the foundation’s annual report on charitable giving in Scotland also indicated that £851 million in total was given to charity by people in the country last year.

On average, the monthly amount given, through either donation or by sponsorship, was £20.

Children and young people were the number one cause that people in Scotland gave a donation to last year, followed by medical research, animal welfare, homelessness, and hospitals and hospices respectively.

The most common method for people being asked to give remains being asked on the street (37%), although the figure has fallen from 43% in 2017.

Around 27% indicated that they were asked to give via television, followed by 24% who said they had been asked by direct mail and 21% who were asked online.

Women were also found to be more likely than men to engage in charitable or social activities, with older people also highlighted as being more likely to have taken part in at least one such activity within the last year.

Charities form part of the bedrock of Scottish society
Susan Pinkney, Charities Aid Foundation

Despite this, the study also indicated that the frequency of people giving to charity has fallen, with 27% giving on a weekly or monthly basis in 2018 – down from the 31% of those who did so in the previous year.

Susan Pinkney, head of research at the foundation, said: “Charities form part of the bedrock of Scottish society, contributing to so many cultural, social, religious and educational activities.

“While we may find ourselves in uncertain political times, these ties in our communities are worth fighting to protect.”